Antifriction center-bearing for cars.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

J.G.BARBER. ANTIPRIGTION CENTER BEARING FOR GARS.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.19. 1906.

VJLU

/JOIIN C, BARBER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ANTIFRICTION CENTER-BEARING FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

yPatented July 16, 1907.

Application filed November 19, 190B. Serial No. 343,976.

Td all whom it may cmrccm:

Bc itknown that I, JonN-C. BARBER, a citizen or' the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county vof Cook and State ol Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in `Antiiriction Center- Bearingsior Gars; and l do hereby declare the following to be a l ull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to anti-friction center bearings for railway cars and the like, and has for its object to improve the same in the several particulars hereinafter noted.

The invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described `and defined in the claims. l

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a view in elevation, with parts broken away, showing the improved center bearing. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the center bearing, with the upper bearing member removed. Fig. 3 is'a transverse vertical section taken through the c'enter bearing on the line x3 :t3 of Fig. 2; and Fig.

4 is a detail in end elevation, with some parts broken, showing the interlocking roller retaining ring, two of the rollers being indicated by dotted lines.

The upper member 1 'el' the center bearing is adapted to be directly secured to the body bolster (not` shown) of a car, and it is preferably in the form of a steel or malleable. casting. The lower bearing member 2 of the center bearing is also preferably in the form of a steel or malleable casting, and it is adapted to be directly secured to a. `truck bolster (not'showny also, when the center bearing is incorporated in a lateral motiony center bearing such as that disclosed in my priorpatent No. 588,810, issued of 'date August 12, 1897,4 the` said bearing member 2 may constitute the 40 combined lower bearing member of the center bearing proper, and the upper bearing member of the lateral motion'v device. At its central portion, the upper bearing member 1 is provided with a depending hub 3 that works in a central seat 4 of the lower bearing member 2. 4At its outer portion, the `lower bearing member 2 is shown as provided with an upwardly extended annular lange', and just outward of this vflange 5 the upper bearing member 1 is provided with a depending annular flange 6which1atterlange surrounds the forme and, hence, serves as a. dust guard. The depending annular flange 6 is shown as formed, above the flange 5, with an inwardly offset shoulder portion 7. i

Inward of their flanged portions 7 and 5,' the bearing members 1 and 2, respectively, are .formed with inwardly converging conical bearing surfaces between which are interposed a series ol closely positioned radially disposed conical bearing rollers S. The outer ends ot the rollers 8 are rounded on the arc ol' a circle struck from the axis oi the center bearing, and they engage and thrust against said flanged portions 5 and 7.

At their rear ends, the bearing rollers S are formed with heavy headed trunnions 9 that are preferably formed integral therewith. 4These headed trunnions are journaled or swiveled in seats l0 formed in a divided two-part retaining ring 11. The sections of this retaining ring are secured together by any suitable means, but prel'erablyby rivets 12. The upper and -lower bearing members l and 2 are formed with annular clearance grooves that together form a seat in which the said retaining ring is adapted to rotate or oscillate without l'rictional contact with the said bearing members. This retainingring also serves t0 space the rollers, but when the rollers are closely positioned, as shown in the drawings, this l'unction becomes sccondary to the main l'unciion which consists in maintaining the rollers inter-locked and in their proper rclative positions when the center bearing members are separated, and even when the rollers arc entirely rcnioved from the center bearing. The said rollers may, therefore, be said to be rotatively intel-locked to the said retaining ring and this, it will be noted, is accomplished by direct engagement between the bonded trunnions thereof and the said ring. The seats l0 l'oi the said headed trunnions, itwill be noted, are formed one hall` in cach oi the sections of the retaining ring, so that the rollers may be readily removed from said ring or applied thereto when the sections of the retaining ring are separated. .lhis feature, also, of course, greatly facilitates the assembling of the rollers and the retaining ring.

The device described, while of small cost, is highly eflicient for the purposes had in N\ iew, and makes possible the use ol a maximum number ol bearing rollers in any particular center bearing.

What I claim is:

1. Inn. center bearing, the combimulon with upper and lower bearing members, of rollers interposed between said bearings, said rollers having headed trnnnions at one end, and a split" or two part retaining ring having supplemental seats formed in part ln each of the ring sections,

each of which seats receives and lnterlocks with one of l the said headed trumonsbut permits rotary movement of said rollers, substantially a's described.

. 2. .In a center bearing, `the combination with uppenand lower' bearing members, of conica-l rollers interposed be-y tween said bearing members-and provided at their inner ends with headed trunnlons, the outer ends of sa-idrollers being rounded nd at least on'e of said bearing 'members having an annular shoulder that engages-the said rounded outer ends of said rollers, and a two part retaining ring,

the sections of which join approximately in a. plane inter- 'secting the axis of the bearing at a right angle, and which ring sections haye"supplementol seufts each of which re-- cetves and interlocks with oneot the said headed trunnions, but which seats permit the said rollers to rotate,`

substantially as descrlied.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence ofv two witnesses l JOHN c. BARBER.

Witnesses: f

A. M. LOVE, LEE W. BARBER. 

